Mission Statement

We are a community chorus committed to the musical, cultural, and spiritual enrichment of our singers and audiences through the performance of a wide variety of sacred and secular music.

Core Values

• We see the Arts as an important form of communication, celebrate diversity in thematic programming, and challenge ourselves and our audiences to be thoughtful and passionate about issues which affect our world community.

• We encourage amateur singers to develop strong musical skills and vocal techniques, and to gain an understanding of diverse musical periods and styles. We draw our vocal soloists from our membership.

• We engender a vibrant artistic community through collaboration with writers, dancers, visual artists and instrumentalists, and the performance and commissioning of new works.

• We are dedicated to keeping the Arts affordable, both for our singers and for our audiences, while also adequately supporting the musicians and artists who perform with us.

• We develop and nurture a broader audience for choral music, especially among youth and in the outlying communities.

• We support each other, both musically and emotionally, and instill a sense of mutual responsibility for our growth as musicians.

History

The Thetford Chamber Singers (TCS) were organized in the fall of 1978 by founding director Valerie Miller. The first meeting brought more than 20 singers, far too many for the space available in her home. The Thetford Elementary School was approached and agreed to allow the group to use space at the school for rehearsal. Their first musical performance was a combined effort with the Parish Players at the Thetford Grange in which the chorus sang chants and madrigals. That same fall, the First Congregational Church of Thetford gave permission for the group to use the church as its official performance “home”. In January 1979, the group was formally organized as a non-profit organization named "The Thetford Chamber Singers and Children’s Chorus." With the help of Elizabeth Ballard, connections were made at the Dartmouth Music Department, which very generously allowed the group access to their choral library for research and borrowing. The children’s chorus eventually became a part of the regular school program at Thetford Elementary School. Bylaws for The Thetford Chamber Singers were adopted in 1989 and the group received 501(c)(3) status from the IRS in 1999.

After the 2010-2011 season, Valerie Miller decided to retire from her position as director. At the same time, accompanist Maureen Burford stepped down and was replaced by Annemieke Spoelstra. In 2011-2012 two members of TCS, Anna Alden and Kevin Quigley, stepped in to co-direct a very impressive year, and Lindsey Warren joined the group to direct with style and energy for the 2012-2013 season. Kevin Quigley returned to the director's podium for the 2013-2014 season, and has led the group to wide acclaim since then. Our current and much-beloved accompanist Matthew Wiencke joined the group in the fall of 2013.

The Thetford Chamber Singers are looking forward to celebrating our 40th Anniversary Season, beginning in the fall of 2017!